Iraq arrests senior aide to most wanted Baathist

Iraqi forces have arrested a prominent aide to deputy secretary general of the dissolved Baath Party Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who served as vice president under the former regime.The anti-terrorism forces arrested Hussein Arak al-Khazraji in Dour district, the hometown of al-Douri in

Salahuddin province, a security source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.The Anti-Terrorism Department of Iraq has expressed hope that the arrest of Izzat al-Douriâ€™s aide would lead to al-douriâ€™s arrest in the near future.The Iraqi government has accused al-Douri of supporting the insurgency in Iraq and financing it, as he is considered the highest official in the former Iraqi Baathist regime who is still on the run.The sources in the Iraqi security services spoke several times in recent months of monitoring the movements of al-Douri, but they have not arrested him yet.Douri took important tasks and positions in Iraq since the Baath Party came to power in Iraq in 1968 until its fall in 2003, including as Saddam Husseinâ€™s deputy.In 2003, US forces in Iraq allocated an amount of ten million dollars to anyone who helps in Izzat al-Douriâ€™s arrest. He is currently wanted number 1 by Iraqi authorities.Al-Douri broadcasts his statements from time to time on the Internet, calling for the fight against the Iraqi government and its military forces due to his refusal to recognize their legitimacy.